Steering-gear.



W. A. SEAMAN.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. 1908.

908, 1 53. Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

tion.

arrangement of the port.

of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 5

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. SEAMAN, OF LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ELIZABETH W.SEAMAN,

OF LONG BRANCH, NEW JERSEY.

STEERING-GEAR.

Application filed May 23, 1908. Serial No. 434,625.

Patented Dec. 29, 1908.

[sired rotary position. The bases of these Be it known that I, \VILLL-iMA. SEAMAN, bearings may be secured to the support for a citizen of theUnited States, and resident I the steering gear in any desired position.of Long Branch, in the county of Monmouth i Communicating recesses 12,13, 14, are and State of New Jersey, have invented 21 provided in thetwo half sections 6 and 7 of new and useful Improvement in Steeringthecasing for receiving the two guide rollers Gear, of which the followingis a specifica- 4, 5 and the sprocket wheel 3 respectively. Channels 15,16, in the two half sections 6 and 7 of the casing lead from the guideroller recesses 12 respectively through the trunnions to the ends of thecasing beyond the bearings 10. Each of the guide rollers is mounted torotate within the I casing by. providing studs 17, 18, projecting fromthe sections 6 and 7 of the casing in alinement with each other, aroundeach of which studs is fitted a bushing 19. The two half sections of thecasing may be held together by screws 20 which pass centrally throughthe studs 17, 18.

he sprocket wheel 3 is mounted on the angular portion 21 of the-steeringpost 22, which steering post is supported in its posi tion in the casingby hollow extensions 23, 24, projecting outwardly from the half sections6 and? respectively of the casing.

To prevent the. cramping or doubling of the links of the chain as itpasses into and out of engagement with the sprocket wheel 3, guides 25,26, are provided which project into the sprocket wheel recesses 14 to apoint nearer the axis of the sprocket wheel than its periphery, uponboth sides of its teeth, which guides form extensions of thecorresponding side walls of the channels 15, 16.

It will be seen that a steering gear constructed as herein set forthwill have its operating parts well protected and also that any tendencyof the chain to cramp or bind as it is passed through the casing isentirely preventedf It will also be seen that the steering gear may beplaced in any desired position and the steeringpost arranged at anydesired angle with respect to the support for the steering gear withoutinterfering with the operation of the same.

It is evident that various changes might be resorted to in theconstruction, form and arrangement of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention, hence I do not wishto limit myself to the structure herein set forth, but

IVhat I claim is:

1. A steering gear comprising a s rocket wheel, a chain and a casinghaving 0 annels The object of my invention is to provide a steering gearin which the operating parts I are well protected and in which thecramping or doubling of the links of the chain as it passes around thesprocket wheel is prevented.

A further object is to'provide certain improvements in the construction,formand several parts whereby I the gear may be attached to its supportin i any desired position and in which the steering post may be clampedin any desired angular adjustment with respect to its sup- A practicalembodiment ofv my invention is represented in the accompanying drawingsin which Figure 1 represents the gear in ,top plan, the steering postbeing shown in cross section,,Fig. 2 is a front view of the gear, Fig. 3is an end view of the same, Fig. 4 is a section taken in the plane ofthe line AA is a View taken in the same plane, looking in the otherdirection, and Fig. 6 is a section taken in the plane of the line B ofFig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The sprocket chain of the steering gear is denoted by 1 and it ispreferably provided with rollers 2 mounted on the rivets between theside plates of the chain links for reducing friction. The sprocket wheelaround which the chain passes, is denoted by 3 and the two guide rollersbetween which the sprocket wheel 3 is located, are denoted by i: and 5,the peripheries of which guide rollers are fitted to engage the rollers2 of the chain.

The divided casing for housing the sprocket wheel and guide rollerscomprises two separable members 6 and 7 having semicylindricalextensions 8 and 9 respectively forming together trunnions, which arerotatably supported in split bearings 10. These split bearings 10 areprovided with clamp screws 1] arranged to clamp the casing in anydetherein for leading the chain to and from the sprocket wheel andguides in the casing projecting to a point nearer the axis of thesprocket wheel than its periphery for preventing the cramping or bindinof the chain as it passes into and out o? engagement with the wheel.

2; A steering gear comprising a sprocket wheel, a chain and a casinghaving channels therein for leading the chain to and from the sprocketwheel and guides in the casing projectingto a point nearer the axis ofthesprocket wheel than its periphery upon both sides of its teeth forpreventing the cramping or binding of the chain as-it passes into andout of engagement with the wheel;

' 3. A' steering gear comprising a sprocket wheel, guide rollers uponopposite SIdGS'Of the sprocket wheel, a chain and a casing havingchannels therein for leading the chain to and from the sprocket'wheeland guide rollers, and guides in the casing projecting I to apoint nearer theaxis of the sprocket wheel than its periphery forpreventing the cramping or binding of thechain as it passes into and outof engagement with the wheel. 4. A steering gear comprlsing a sprocket iwheel, guide rollers upon opposite sides of the sprocket wheel, a chainand a casing having channels therein for leading the chain to and fromthe sprocket wheel and guide rollers and guides in the casing projectingto a point-nearer the axis of the sprocket wheel than its periphery uponboth sides or its teeth for preventing the cramping or binding of thechain as it passes into and out. of-

engagement with the Wheel.

5. A steering gear comprising a sprocket wheel, a chain, guide rollersupon opposite sides of the sprocket wheel and a closed casing for thesprocket wheel and guide rollers,

- 7 A steering gear com rising a sprocket;

wheel, a chain, guide rol ers upon opposite sides of the sprocket wheeland a closed casing having. communicating recesses therein for receivingthe rollers and sprocket wheel and channels leading from said recessesthrough. the ends of the casing through which the chain'passes intoan'dout of engagement with the sprocket wheel and guide rollers. I

8; 'A steering gear comprising bearings,

a casing journaled in said bearings, a steering post journaled in thesaid casing, a

sprocket wheel fixed to said post within the casing, guide rollersuponopposite sides of the sprocket wheel and within the casing, said casinghaving channels leading through its ends into communication with "thesprocketwheel'and guide rollers and a chain arranged to pass throughsaid channels into" and out of engagement with the said sprocket wheeland guide rollers.

In testimony,that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in 0nd day of May, 1908.

Witnesses; Y F. GEORGE BARRY,

HENRY THEME.

presence of two witnesses, this twenty-sec-v WILLIAM A. SEAMAN,

